Author: beautywithmei

I’ve not been posting recently, and I’ve been feeling bad about it, and then it keeps going on and on and I can’t get back into posting. I think it’s because I lost a bit of inspiration, and I kept trying to stick to schedules and it was becoming more of a chore for something that is just a hobby. I think I’d like to re start again but take this is a slightly different direction, so if you find my old posts have gone..do not be alarmed!

Sephora Whipped Cream Body Moisturiser – Watermelon scented and really great! If this is on sale, I might put this in my basket!

Sephora Primer: Siliconey and meh

Orogold Moisturiser: Meh

Sephora Cherry Blossom Gum Wash: This surprised me, it is like a gum but it it also exfoliates and does smell nice. Again, perhaps a second look if it is on sale.

Sephora Sleeping Mask: This is like a thick-ish jelly. I feel like it must have done something, but I’d rather have less product on my face that could get on my pillows and have something that absorbs a little more..

Normaderm 3 in 1: I like this, more as an exfoliant though I have used this as a mask once. I prefer it as a daily cleanser/exfoliator, and would consider re purchasing if I run out of products in my bathroom cabinet any time soon!

Bioderma Sensitive Micellaire Water: I think I prefer the pink version, even if I don’t really feel any difference between the two types. So far, this is probably the best micellaire water I have tried, with a close tie with the Garnier one.

Moana cream: This smells DIVINE. I even got stopped in the gym by someone who wanted to complement me on the smell of this! I mean wow right?! I would buy this if I saw it, but if I remember correctly, it was a pricey item from a Glossybox..so maybe not.

Glow by Dr Brandt: I hardly think I saw a difference in using this. I don’t even know if it did anything or not, my first introduction to retinol types. But I think this is a miss for me.

Hello Gorgeous Blush Paper: I don’t like this idea, as I think I would sweep away any make up I had on me whilst trying to apply this. Pass from me

Mac In Extreme Extension Lash Mascara: Wow, this was great. A sample from online purchases of Mac brushes, and this did wonders for my lashes that are small, straight and not great all round. This brush coated every lash and was perfect. It also didn’t flake that much!

MUFE HD Pressed Powder: This is what I set my foundation with, so that I could apply bronze and blush on after. I liked this product, it did the job and I would probably re purchase, but during a Sephora sale. I have a loose powder sample version to try out too..

So here are the empties, and I’ve split it in two because there were quite a few products I went through and finished.

Biore: Charcoal pore strips – As I mentioned on my Glossybox post, I wasn’t too impressed with this. I feel that it’s too harsh, and whildt unsurprising as it is meant to be strong enough to unclog the junk, I feel like continual use will just dry out the skin.

L’Occitane: Amande Body Scrub – This was great to exfoliate my skin and felt good too. I guess I could re purchase but I’m not blown away either so for now I still don’t know what a go to brand would be and I am find trying out various exfoliators for now.

No7: Soft and Gentle Cleansing Milk – This is soft and gentle indeed. I would use this sample for taking any excess make up off, after the initial cleansing water.

Kevin Murphy: Plumping Wash – I think this was ok, I mean I remember liking it, but not enough to remember exactly. I think this brand does have some shampoo without sulphates so that could be worth trying out.

Batiste: Dry Shampoo – The original brand that I have used for a long time, but probably not the best one. This does do the trick, but it does feel like there is product in there hair, which is usually ignored as it does such a great job of absorbing all the oils. It’s a tried and tested one, I do find the Klorane one to be a bit better in terms of smell but I also have a dry shampoo foam to test out soon too.

Caudalie: Hand Cream – I love this hand cream. The smell is strong, but for me, nice. It’s something that I would buy again if I didn’t have any hand cream about, but I had plenty still from boxes, advent calendars and Christmas, including a smaller version of this one.

Crabtree & Evelyn: Hand Cream – another hand cream as winter has been hard on my skin. This smelt gorgeous though, and a present from someone at work. I would like to try more from this brand, so it’s put on the radar.

Academie: Multi Vitamine Mask – This was great as a mask, a bit thick and I’m sure it’s done something but not enough that I could visibly see anyway. It’s the third product I got from this brand in a Glossybox, and I do enjoy them but not enough to go out my way to purchase on my own.

Hey Honey: Mask – I got this from a Glossybox and this was good but not sure if I wuld repurchase. It’s a thick clear transparent liquid, that is sticky and does dry (though you should have some moisturiser on before hand) so that you peel it off. It feels nice, who doesn’t like a peel off mask?, but I am so full with masks right now, it’s not on my radar to buy.

So March (right) was late, and I was also on holiday, so by the time I got this, I also got April (left) too.

March:

Elgon: Deliwash Cleansing Conditioner. 100ml – 9.50Eur

100ml – 9.50Eur. Full size.

Comments: Conditioner, great. I always don’t mind these in boxes and I like the packaging.

Panier de Sens: Hand cream. 75ml – 10.90Eur

30ml – 4.36Eur

Comments: Another product I love to get because I use them quick and I’m not too picky in trying out various brands. Plus this brand has been great when I’ve received products in previous Glossyboxses.

Gosh: Eyeshadow. 1.7g – 9.99Eur

1.7g – 9.99Eur

Comments: Like Sleek, another brand I wanted to try. I have the shade in Dusty Green, and I think this might work out well for me.

Christian Lenart: Brume d’eau de roses. 150ml – 3.95Eur

150ml – 3.95Eur

Comments: This is a nice essential oil mist which should be great to refresh during the months to come as the weather gets warmer and I’ll need to hydrate a bit more.

MeMeMe: Beat the blues highlighter. 9ml – 9.20Eur

9ml – 9.20Eur

Comments: Highlighters are probably the products I least use, so I don’t mind much for this product. However I guess it does intrigue me as it isn’t a powder or a cream.

In all, this is worth 37Eur, and I’m pretty happy with it, plus the box looks pretty cool too!

April:

Biore: Purifying strips. 6 patches – 6.40Eur

2 patches – 2.13 Eur

Comments: I’ve actually tried both of these out and I’m not too impressed. You need to wet your nose before placing this on for 10 minutes. When it dries, I feel that the skin around is tightens, but not in a good way. When I tried to remove the strips off, it was like I was ripping off my skin, which I guess is needed, but I feel like this isn’t as great as you’d think in getting out the gunk in the pores. It’s a pass for me.

Comments: Rice powder? Hmm… well I look foward to seeing how this performs as I don’t use loose powder that much.

PostQuam Cosmetic – Oat Facial Water. 200ml – 35Eur

200ml – 35Eur. Full size.

Comments: I’ve seen this brand, and I am quite interested to see how this works, as a sort of hydrating water and toning solution to balance out the skin. The oat extracts should be calming and anti-irritant, so if true, it should be great for my break outs.

Comments: Well, a hydrating day cream can never go amiss, but having got this brand in the Feb box, and thinking that I might not be so impressed, I’m kind of getting the same idea here.

Beauty Paper – Green Tea Blotting Paper. 9.37Eur.

9.37Eur..full size?

Comments: I think there are 20 sheets in here but I can’t find it too easily. Blotting paper for my oily skin is always welcome, even if I don’t use it too much (out of just not having it, not that I can do without!)

This box was 72.80Eur, and I somehow feel that it’s over valued for what it is considering the products and the prices they are vs what I would have thought they should be.

Unboxing for February, the month of Valentines day and the theme of this box:

Jeanne Arthes: L’Eau de Rose . 30ml – 24Eur

30ml – 24Eur. Full size

Comments: This smelt like alcohol, god awful and I ditched this. Could hardly smell anything over the cheap alochol-ness if I’m honest. Fail!

Sleek Make Up: True Colour Lipstick in Stiletto. 3.5g – 6.49Eur

3.5g – 6.49 Eur. Full size.

Comments: Lipstick colour seems nice, and I haven’t tried this brand before, though I’ve seen it around on YouTube channels. I haven’t tried this yet, because I have far too many lipsticks going on at the moment, but I am keeping this.

Fig & Rouge: Mattifying lotion. 30ml – 33.90Eur

15ml- 16.95 Eur

Comments: I have doubts on this product and if it will mattify, but it’s in the drawer ready to be used after I’m doing with another primer.

Huygens: Shampoo. 250ml – 18.50Eur

30ml – 2.22 Eur

Comments: I have had this brand of shampoos about two other times before and I know enough that I wouldn’t purchase this on my own. It’s too liquidy for my liking even if it is sulphate free.

Lollipops: Nail Varnish in Rose Morning. 11ml – 7.90Eur

11ml – 7.90Eur. Full size.

Comments: This is a nice colour and I haven’t tried it yet but let’s see..

In all this was 57.56 Eur, but considering I should -24Eur for the ‘perfume’, and I was probably happy about the Sleek lipstick… I think this Feb box was meh.

I wanted to share this photo quickly to share what I ordered from Cult Beauty and what I was able to get in the Spring Goody Bag! Not sure if it is still available, but the order recently came in so you never know..otherwise a nice watch out for next year!

All the products at the top are what I bought, and everything else was included. Shipping was also included to France, so I reckon a good bargain!

I bought:

Pixi: Glow Tonic & Double Cleanse – I feel like if any products I am going to try from Pixi are the Toner that everyone seems to enjoy and is a good price, and the Double Cleanse as Caroline Hirons is well known and respected when it comes to skincare.

EH Amazing Face: Another cleanser that has been known to be amazing, so thought why not give it a go. Am also trying to phase out foaming cleansers, and perhaps micellaire waters, in favour for cleansing balms to avoid my skin feeling too stripped that it needs to be

DNA Renewal Scar Therapy – something to try on the acne scars

Jade Facial Roller – something to get in a good habit, it’s cooling so it’s great for morning/evenings (currently I’m doing it twice a day) and a little massage too

I have been awful at keeping up with the posts lately, I’m behind on many Glossybox unboxings, and everything else that I’ve bought and emptied so a million sorry’s for that.

This one’s a quick post to say that I finally cracked and bought these two most talked about palettes of 2016 I feel, through a 25% discount period at Sephora in France, and decided to also buy the MUFE stick foundation as I could get the powder free. With this purchase at a specific Sephora, I was able to choose my samples, and as a gold member I was also able to choose this Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer which I have loved, ever since getting it in a Glossybox over a year ago. Result!!

Apart from the samples, I’ve used the 3 main items a few times and here’s what I’ll say:

Too Faced Sweet Peach: It does smell of peaches, but more in a sickly way than I had imagined, like a peach flavoured sweet perhaps? I was hesitating with this one due to the colour scheme, and wondering if it would go well with my skin tone, but so far I have made the peach colours work, incorporating some of the deeper purple in the outer corners. I think I will reach for this one a lot more now that the sun is coming out

ABH Modern Renaissance: I am still nervous about the colours, the warm red/burgandy colours do seem to make me look a bit weird, but I have only reached for this once so it is also too early to tell. I am keeping the box though, as I don’t want the furry packaging to get dirty. Saying this, I do think I might be used to the UD or TF packaging, but this cardboard style packaging sometimes puts me off

MUFE Stick foundation: I got this in the (123) shade Y365 as I am still using the liquid versions in (125) Y315 and I feel that although I can use it, I can get a better match. I think this is probably better for me, and I do like the stick foundation. I find it easier to travel with but I do need to try more to see if I prefer the liquid or stick format more.

Another empties round here so let’s get started! (Apologies for the blurry photo, I didn’t realise it was a bad one..)

From top left to right, then bottom left to right:

Dr. Goldfaden: Ruby Crystal Microderm Exfoliator: This felt like rubbing salt on your face, it felt like it did something but at the same time also felt rough. I liked to wet my face and fingers whilst spreading this around otherwise it would have been too much for me. I did think this was ok, but I think it was a bit too harsh so I wouldn’t buy this.

Eyeko Fat Liner: I got this from a beauty box and I really did enjoy this product. I find pen eyeliners to probably be the most easiest way to apply eyeliner. The only thing is that this is a fat pen, so whilst good to try and create the flick, as my hooded eyes don’t have much space for lash lining, I had to be careful with this. I would consider purchasing this, if I knew where I could easily get it (in store I mean)

DeClerc Mascara: I got this from a beautybox too, and I actually think this wasn’t bad. For me, it didn’t seem to flake, it did what I wanted to, which was to darken my lashes and I do remember being very surprised with this. I wouldn’t re purchase because I have a lot of mascaras to use up from a variety of boxes, but seeing how those will go, I might keep this one in the back of my mind.

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Eye: I do think this cream works, probably not as much as another cream I am using, but I did seem to notice a difference the morning after application that my dark under eye area wouldn’t be as dark anymore. This one I am not going to repurchase but keep in the back of my mind for sure.

Academie francaise: This was a moisture cream I think – really I can’t remember – but it might have been a daily cream. It did moisturize well but I wouldn’t say anything specific against this one. I kept this in my travel bag and it suited the purpose.

Yves Rocher moisturiser: This is a small sample I received, and probably don’t have much to comment on it. It was a moisturiser and did what I needed it to, it was ok to put it on in the morning without being too thick but it’s probably something I wouldn’t repurchase.

Fresh Vitamin Nectar Mask: I really like this product. It was a sample but something I might consider to get at Sephora now that the brand is in France. It smelt like oranges and zesty but I do feel like it did something to my face. The texture was strange, something like a jelly with bits in I feel like, but I do think I would try purchasing this if I got the chance.

Elemis Tri-Enzyme face wash: I bought this a while ago, with a bunch of other Elemis products that I have been using up and must be in my previous empties posts. I like this enough as I was using it, but I don’t think I noticed anything special after having used more products through various beauty boxes. I do seem to like the brand, to me it reflects quality and British-ness, however if I had to say one product I liked the most, it would probably be the lavender toner which I did think that more of an effect for me in balancing out my oils.

+ 10. Panier de Sens, cleanser and toner. This was refreshing, as the packaging suggests and did the job well. It removed my make up gently and toned my face gently and in a refreshing manner. I think this brand is probably a bit too pricy if I remember correctly, however it was nice to use.

11. Aussie 3 minute miracle: I love the smell of this, and I think it does work well. My hair felt nourished, smooth and moisturised. I would probably purchase from this brand again.

12. Nars creamy concealer in Custard: This is a sample, and I have another one actually which is great as I don’t think I can really remember much about this. I do think I liked it though, it goes well for my skin tone under the eyes, and also as a spot concealer too. I don’t remember if there was much creasing so I will have to try out the second sample and give it a go. I do remember thinking it might be worth to buy the concealer though so I don’t think it was bad for me.

13. Rituals foaming shower gel: This was gentle in cleaning and foamed nicely. I think it was a calming and gentle body cleanse which was great. I think though that I don’t care much for shower gels (at least not as much for now) so I wouldn’t re purchase, but to test more from this brand is something I would consider for sure.

So it must have been over a year ago I think that I bought this Urban Decay Vice 4 palette in the Sephora sales with 30% off.. it pains me to admit but actually I didn’t use this so that by the next Sephora sales I saw this for 50% off and I could have saved some money! Well I remember thinking that there was a good shade selection of actual colours (ie not the various shades of brown that exist), but blues and pinks and purples.

So here is the palette:

I haven’t used all the colours yet of the palette and I still am working on that (it’s kind of hard for me to incorporate colours into my usual work makeup looks..where I really do stick to the browns and neutrals there).

I have used “discreet” a grey type of colour that I would use as a transition/crease colour due to the shade, however I feel that this is tightly packed and does kick up a bit more powder that I would be used to (compared to the Naked Basics 2 and the Naked Smoky palettes).

I feel that the three green colours don’t really give me that much difference in colour that I would probably expect just looking at the pans, especially “grasshopper” and “arctic”. What I like to do is use “grasshopper” over the lid and crease, and then use “deadbeat” in the outer v to darken up the colours a little bit. I have to play around more in using colours because normally I would use a cream/ight brown shade for the lid, with a medium brown for the crease and a darker brown for the outer V. With these green shades looking quite similar, I think I want to try mixing the green in the crease with another colour on the lid..or vice versa.

The two colours I will probably avoid are the two in the bottom left corner, which are a bit more orangey. “Bitter” I might be able to use somehow, at least in the crease, but the sparkly “flame” is a glitter orange that I am not sure goes with my skintone, nor my eyes.

Overall, I am trying to bring this palette out for at least the weekends, so I hope to check in back later with what I think about this, even if it was limited edition, and it isn’t in the shops anymore..

A quick post today, to share what I picked up from the Sephora (France) sales that I found fairly interesting. These lipsticks, I feel have been around for a year or so? I remember seeing videos on YouTube about this, particularly because the lipsticks are strange colours and apply a natural colour to your lips.

As this was 30% off, I decided to go ahead and pick this up, given that a full size is 23Eur itself. I get to try out the products, and three of them at that for less than a full priced full sized version.

From left to right:

-Medival: “The sheer red that suits everyone”. Well I don’t know if that really is the case but I could see how it can be true. This is a subtle red that gives a hint of colour, and I feel is my favourite one of the trio. This is perfect for a hint of colour for work, or just every day casual and I love it.

-Hello Sailor: “the blue that comes out as a berry tint”. My least favourite but I don’t hate it alot. I mean the shade comes out quite dark blue/ purple in colour but remains overall fairly light and not super pigmented or anything. I don’t think it particularly goes well for an every day look but it isn’t horrendous. This is what I am keeping in my bag to use it up first, and because it’s super tiny if I want a hint of colour on my lips vs lip balm.

-Frog Prince: “the green that turns fairy tale pink”. Well it’s a pink and it’s softer than the already soft Medival shade, and this would be ranked as number 2 in the trio for me. Despite being the ‘original’ one I prefer Medival, which is a shame considering that is already red and gives less of a wow impact.

Overall, these are very moisturising and I feel like it’s a lip balm that gives a hint of colour, which is perfect to pop in my work bag!